Newsletter

October 2010
Colectivo CEIBA.
Friends of Santiago Texacuangos.
CEIBA
Constructing Integrated Spaces for Environmental Well-being

WHO WE ARE.
CEIBA (Construyendo Espacios Inte-
grales para el Bienestar Ambiental),
Constructing Integrated Spaces for
Environmental Well-being

Vision:

Be a foundation that promotes sus-

tainable community organization that
manages the natural resources, well
being, and social development of
It is a resource that will save lives of
Santiago Texacuangos. those who live in high risk of land-
slides in the surrounding areas.
Mission:

Gives community members the tools

to organize themselves in order to
generate:environmental conscious-
ness, alternatives sources of income,
food sovereignty, risk management,
mental health, and gender equality.

Our Staff:

Rafael Flores: Painter/Entreprenuer/ Html-er.

Dany Portillo: Sociological Culturalist

Mercedes Monge: Social Worker

Jonathan Velasquez: Poet/Lawyer/Accountant

Beth Tellman: Coordinator/ Gringo Relations

Vladimir Jimenez: Organic Agronomist

Design by: Jonathan Velasquez; Beth Tellman, http://friendsofsantamaria.blogspot.com/,
www.ceibaelsalvador.org
 The new Hurricane Shelter/ Community Center in El Sauce!

T hanks to a letter
Dr. Tellman wrote to
Evan Bayh in January, which
made its way to the US Em-
bassy El Salvador post, who
called Beth for a disaster tour,
who revised project proposal
CEIBA sent in March, who
sent 2 men from the military
civil affairs unit to Santiago
Texacuangos in July to make
community visits, who coor-
dinated with CEIBA the pro-
ject of their choice…. FINALLY August 2010, the hurricane shelter of El Sauce was built and officially inau-
gurated on October 3. Jonathan Velasquez, CEIBA lawyer and only other English-speaking team member, co-
ordinated the project with the US Embassy. Translations from the official report are below-

The community center in El Sauce not only benefits the community, but the entire municipality of Santiago
Texacuangos. It is a resource that will save lives of those who live in high risk of landslides in the surrounding
areas. The center is equipped to shelter up to 80 people during a disaster, with bathrooms, a full kitchen, a
shower, and 80 mattresses donated by US Army Civil Affairs Unit. The shelter is run by community volunteers
organized and trained by CEIBA to monitor and evacuate people in high-risk zones, as well as organize dona-
tions and volunteers to cook for and protect those affected by disaster. In the most recent storms, Matthew and
Nicole (Sept 2010), El Sauce opened its doors to 17 members of the neighboring community of Los Cruces,
demonstrating solidarity with its neighbors. The official inauguration took place Oct. 3, with over 150 partici-
pants filling the house. The guests of honor included the governor of San Salvador, the mayor, representatives
of CEIBA, representatives of Civil Protection, and of course, the President of the Community of El Sauce.
The ceremony included folk music played by children, local folk dances, and a community raffle to begin a
fund to maintain the building, pay water and electricity bills, and buy more equipment to prepare for emer-
gencies such as radios and chainsaws. The construction of the building will prevent the loss of human life, a
safe space for youth to meet, social events, and other infinite uses for El Sauce and humanity.
Nicole and Matthew- the latest set of tropical storms and hurricanes

In Tropical Storms Nicole and Matthew, rain poured in El Salvador Sept 26- Oct. 1, killing 3 people and
destroying 150 houses, including 2 houses in Santiago Texacaungos

Disaster Risk Reduction in ACTION- what did CEIBA do in Shaltipa and El Sauce?

Shelter and Children’s Trauma Therapy in El

Sauce

As the alert crept from green to orange, CEIBA

received called from help from Los Cruces.
The mayor refused to open a shelter, and so
CEIBA helped El Sauce open its newly built
community center and become a functioning
hurricane shelter for 17 people in El Sauce,
though the local government advised us to
wait. We could not after inspecting conditions
of a huge whole that had formed underneath a
home as the earth slowly gave way. Sure enough, over the course of heavy evening rains, the highway was
blocked due to two landslides as 2 houses fell in Los Cruces (with no people in them). Most families in the
area work in construction or in sweatshops, neither of which would be canceled due to the rains! So CEIBA
with the help of Norma, stayed in the
shelter during the day as mothers and fa-
thers worked to take care of children.
With donations of crayons, paper, and
face paint, we were able to realize the
first 2 stages of disaster crisis interven-
tion, including drawing your feelings
about “why am I in a shelter” with cray-
ons, and movement therapy with yoga.
The shelter held 80 people, including 25
children, and was equipped by Civil Pro-
tection, CEIBA, and volunteers from El
Página 3
Sauce for 6 days.
 Landslides Prevention with black tarp in Shaltipa

Landslides are caused by a complicated mix of de-

forestation, excess rain, slope, placement of aqui-
fers, and social factors that cause houses to be built
beneath them. Black tarp is not a solution for these
factors, but it can limit soil saturation right above a
family's home, potentially preventing landslides in
the short run. CEIBA hiked the mountains with
Shaltipa’s disaster committee and measure and cut
tarp to try and protect 50 homes in the area. As we
walked door to door, from dirt floor to dirt floor, I
realized these adobe structure and those who lived
in them were suffering from a daily disaster of poverty, as I asked a child who appeared to be 8 how old she
was, and she replied, 14. Maybe one day, CEIBA can grow and address the roots of this social vulnerability-
nutrition, access to education, literacy, and small-scale business...

New National Connections- CIPJES, Civil Protection,

and Equipo Maíz!
CIPJES- Coordinadora Intersectorial Pro Juventudes
de El Salvador (Intersecting Coordination Pro-Youth
in El Salvador) is the largest network of youth organi-
zations in the country, with over 250 participating or-
ganization. With support from Spain, Plan Interna-
tional, the Netherlands, and many other countries
fund events like the National Youth Forum in Septem-
ber 2010. CIPJES invited CEIBA along with youth
from the communities including Isiais, 18 from El
Sauce and Joceline, 15 from Joya Grande, to attend
the forum. We discussed new national and regional
conventions and laws for the rights of youth, as well as the current reality of violence and gangs in the country
and accompanying police intimidation towards youth in general, making it even more difficult to organize. We
hope to continue working with CIPJES to support the youth of Santiago Texacuangos and form youth groups
in each community where we work.
 Civil Protection/ Protecion Civil The institution is much like USA’s
FEMA. In order to formalize CEIBA’s community organizing work and get
communities connected with the national government. We sent 60 mem-
bers, 20 each from Shaltipa, El Sauce, and Joya Grande to be officially
sworn in as Communal Commissions of Civil Protection. This empowers
them to be the “official” receivers of and distributors of aid during disas-
ters, and will cut down on corruption and politization of aid by the munici-
pal government. El Sauce has already received kitchen supplies, Joya has
received orange vests, hats, radios, and shovels, and Shaltipa may be receiving supplies soon as well.

Equipo Maiz- Literally “Team Corn,” Equipo Maiz is the go-to or-
ganization for popular education here in El Salvador. They publish
books with educational comics and simple language to translate com-
plex topics like CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement) into
digestible material for Salvadoran communities. They also specialize
in population education workshops, and came to Santiago Texacuan-
gos 3 weekends aug-sept-oct to give workshops in community orga-
nizing free of charge to 100 members from 10 communities. Next
year, CEIBA hopes to work with Equipo Maíz to offer more training
in leadership and disaster preparedness.

Fundraising more than 6K for CEIBA and VMM in the USA!

Thanks to the generous benefactors of CEIBA and hosts of educational and fundraising events including Jane
Pollom, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Brebeuf Jesuit Highschool, Jim and Teresa, Sapp, Marian University,
Latino Youth Collective, Park Tudor, Bill and Connie Tellman and all the people of Indianapolis who gener-
ously donated. As important as raising funds was during the disaster of Hurricane Ida in 2009, it is just as
important now to continue to rebuild resilient communities as we prepare for the inevitable effects of climate
change! Some events were specifically targeted as CEIBA fundraisers, which directly supports our work in
communities, while other events raises funds for the Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM), an ecumenical
Christian organization supporting Beth to volunteer with CEIBA for the next 2 years so that it can become a
sustainable Salvadoran NGO. Free donations from talks, dinners, t-shirt sales, and bbq’s helped raised nearly
$4,000 for VMM, more than half of Beth’s $7,000 goal and $2,500 for CEIBA to help finish our projects for
the year. Both VMM and CEIBA needs your continuing support to keep Beth in El Salvador and keep com-
munity reconstruction going! Contact http://www.vmmusa.org/ to donate to VMM (tax-deductible) and
http://friendsofsantamaria.blogspot.com/ to support CEIBA. We exist because you believe in us!
Delegation Notre Dame/Santa Clara/ San Luis Obispo Aug. 6-16

Jenna Knapp (Brebeuf’06,

Notre Dame ’10, and Ful-
bright El Salvador 10-11)
won a $10,000 from the
Davis Projects for Peace to
build a 10 day exchange
between 16 students and
Salvadoran communities
affected by Ida. Jenna
writes- “Funds for this pro-
ject will enable Salva-
dorans who have experi-
enced years of extreme in-
stability and inequity fol-
lowing the peace accords
to re-imagine and recreate their communities in a sustainable fashion, together with international allies in
solidarity with their struggle. This disaster is not unique, given trends of deforestation, mono-cropping,
internal migration due to armed conflict, and climate change throughout the world. With this exchange I
aim to inspire delegates to use their skills far beyond their one-week stay in order to help bring lasting
peace and stability to the millions of people whose lives rest precariously on the margins of disaster”

Jenna and CEIBA together led students and community members to paint a mural, reforest a hill-
side, build up sand bags to protect a water source, and learn about why this not-so-natural disaster hap-
pened. For delegates like Ming Archbold (ND ’13), the most powerful part of the trip was living in home-
stays and developing friendships with those affected by the disaster in Joya Grande.
“During my homestay in a rural community called Joya Grande, I asked Andrea, a girl from my family,
what she plans to do in the future. Blanketing her true emotions with the most positive smile she could
muster for the foreigners, she replied, “Yo no tengo un futuro”/ I have no future .Andrea is eighteen years
old and has a five year old son. And when I realized that I wouldn’t be meeting the father, I couldn’t help
but let those silent words sink deep into my mind. Hope. Is there any left in this community? How can
they think of a bright future when their minds are engrained with a past full of destruction? Whether it was
the Civil War, a natural disaster, or even the machismo culture, the histories of these people is tainted with
both physical and mental damage. And so, for Andrea and many others of Joya Grande and Santiago Tex-
acuangos communities, her words are not that far from reality. A university edu-
During my
homestay in a
rural commu-
nity called Joya
Grande, I
asked Andrea,
a girl from my
family, what
she plans to do
in the future.
Blanketing her
true emotions
with the most
positive smile
she could mus-
ter for the for-
eigners, she re-
cation is attainable for some, but the majority will end up working jobs that only
plied, “Yo no
fulfill the basic necessities. They do not have enough money to move out of the
tengo un fu-
community. They are stuck. And living in an area that is considered uninhabit-
turo”/ I have
able by the Salvadoran government, the people of Joya Grande are sitting ducks
no future.
in a land full of natural disasters.

CEIBA wants to continue to receive delegations for post-disaster

reconstruction! Send us your school or church group. For more in-
formation, email friendsofsantamaria@gmail.com
Joya Grande: a vulnerable fishing community, or a 5-star hotel?
Two perspectives in the news about why Joya Grande was declared uninhabitable July 2010
(excerpts from news reports written by CEIBA volunteers)

Joya Grande Declared Inhabitable

By Saul Monge for Radio mi Gente

The governor of San Salvador, Fernando Gonzales, together with the representative of the technical com-
mission of Civil Protection, Rafael Artiga, de-
clared Joya Grande, municipality of Santiago
Texacuango uninhabitable.

River flooding, the collapse of the main road, and

landslides are the main problems that the inhabi-
tants of Joya Grande must confront every time it
rains. For this reason, Saturday July 10, the popu-
lation impatiently waited results from the govern-
ment who would determine if the area was unin-
habitable or not. The people held on to hopes that
government institutions would support the community with construction that mitigates flooding. However,
the governor of San Salvador was clear in stating that Joya Grande is considered highly vulnerable, and for
this reason uninhabitable. He promised that 325 families would be relocated as soon as funds and land
were found. But for Gonzalo Perez, like most inhabitants, to abandon his house and denunciate his place of
origin is very difficult. According to residents, the main source of employment is fishing, and being relo-
cated anywhere else would make survival difficult.
 Vulnerability in Canton Joya Grande
By “Papult” for ‘zine Militante BPJ

http://www.bloquepopularjuvenil.org/node/386

The 1,300 residents of Joya Grande were not only made socially, economically, and environmentally vul-
nerable by storms Ida, Agatha, and Alex, but are being taken advantage of by investors. Other than trauma
therapy and some donations of food, medicine, and clothing, the only thing Joya Grande has received from
the government is its declaration of “uninhabitable” and empty promises of relocation with no clear plan. It
seems like everything is against these families; a winter 3 times wetter than last year, land damaged by the
force of water, and roads in bad shape that prevent access to the area. Add to that the construction of a pro-
ject called Porto Pango, that for years has been trying to obtain property in the community to complete a
plan funded by North American Investors (Donald Trump Group) with the vision to construct a 5 star hotel,
complete with a golf course, a private island for parties and weddings, a spa, and a paved road to connect to
the airport. The project was approved in 2006. How can an area declared uninhabitable by the government
by apt for a 5-star hotel for foreign tourists if the government has not even invested in construction to re-
duce landslides in the area for Salvadoran citizens? We call the population to be on alert to the situation
and take a stand against this project that is attempting to displace people from their land.
 Disaster Preparedness for Kids
Why we need a children’s emergency committee in Joya Grande

When Norma Vaquero, the woman who wrote and executed

trauma therapy for children ages 6-12, realized she had nearly
$2,000 left over from the project, she knew she couldn’t just
give it back to the donating agency, ICCO. ICCO funded
Norma’s organization, Anmutspical, to engage in trauma ther-
apy in 3 communities post-Ida. Norma convinced ICCO to in-
vest the leftovers funds in Joya Grande, and execute a project
together with CEIBA.

The idea is to create a children’s emergency committee in Joya

Grande, starting with 25 children in the most dangerous part of
Joya Grande, El Borbollon. Children will draw their own risk
maps, learn basic first aid, learn how to help their families
evacuate safely, and rules of a hurricane shelter (i.e don’t go to
the bathroom alone! Due to high incidence of rape and child
molestation in shelters). We have developed a 3-month program
in which children will learn all necessary skills of what to do in a landslide if mom and dad are not around.
At the end of the program, the children will be sworn in officially by the Communal Commission of Civil
Protection and be given an emergency backpack, complete with ropes, first aid, flashlights etc.

Children’s education in this area if of utmost importance. Of the 5 lives lost in Joya Grande, 4 were chil-
dren under the ages of 12. In part, this is because children enter into shock in disasters, making it difficult
for parents to help them leave the house. By preparing children for disaster, we can reduce fear surrounding
the situation and give them tools to escape. This project is a follow up to the trauma therapy, in which
many children demonstrated feelings of guilt and powerlessness and not being able to help their families.
Many children felt like a burden, and such feelings can affect their development. Thus, we hope to return a
sense of agency to the children, that they too can become part of making their community a safer, better,
place.

With the experience of CEIBA in disaster risk reduction, and the experience of Anmutspical in
child’s psychology both in the community of Joya Grande, this project is a sure success! However, we are
short another $2,000 to pull this off. We know if we are successful in the pilot, we can convince other in-
stitutions to help us replicate. Contact us with any fundraising or grant writing ideas! The children of Joya
Grande need YOUR support!
Financial Report November 9 2009- November 4 2010
Gas $ 3,629
Salaries for 5 Staff $15,605
Technology ( boombox, external harddrive, $448.96
computer)

Workshop Materials $897.02

Communications $910
Vehicle Maintenance $1,532.02
Emergency Food and Water $ 4,850.00
Emergency Equipment ( flashlights, ropes, $4,090.05
poncho, radios, tarp)

Volunteers $663
Transportation (gas for cars not Beth’s) $620
Paperwork (copies, printing, office stuff) $363.39
Website $50
Workshop with Equipo Maíz $450
Mural $98.61
Paypal Transfers $228.04
Other $ 3,972.43
Total Spent $ 38,407.52
Total Cash Available $ 4,584.36

Donations in Kind June 2010-Oct. 2010

Organization Item Value

US Army Civil Affairs Hurricane Shelter $10,000
Equipo Maiz 3 Community Organizing Work- $3,000
shops
Aug 6-16 Delegation Art Supplies for Trauma Therapy $400
(Notre Dame, Cal Poly, SCU) Shelter/Medical Supplies $500
Knapp Family Digital Camera $200
CIPJES 4 spots in National Youth Forum $400
CEIBA Volunteers Free labor! ?
TOTAL TOTAL $14,500
 FRIENDS OF SANTIAGO TEXACUANGOS

Meagan Kristine Kelley Marta Langland Lisa Enright Marta Petersen john and donna yates
Megan Elizabeth Ludwig Leslie Garrison Jenna Knapp Debbie Sahm kevin and karen hayes
jim and teresa sapp Bridget Kosene Emory Lynch The Mancher Family bradely and sandra lawson
Judy and Matthew Hayes Anonymous French Woman Katy Erker Tessa Weston bill and janie shumaker
dave graf Anmu Tsipical Francesca McKenzie Natali Rodriguez doug and kathy lathan

bob and pam tellman Valerie Gies Tay House Christian Community New Shintaro Doi julie king
jim and linda trippi Leah Winnikie Sam Baker John Marrin nick and lisa fohl
mary fisher Linda and Clarence Hirsch Sadie Beauregard Anne Schaufele The Caponi Family
mary ellen brown Valerie Gies Linda Hegeman Joe and Liz Kulesa The Knapp Family
elizabeth sherman Seton Institute Adrian Sandstrom Lauren Trout The Ravizza Family
Kathy Fox CARECEN SF Frances Loberg The Hupomone Fund Margaret Waters
robyn and vince caponi Hariharan Dhandapani Ashton Easterday Maggie Hargrave Myles Minton
drew and janet kightlinger Leslie Gray Cheryl Dieterly Jim Lochhead Ashton Easterday
the jesuits Erin Schlitts Mr. and Mrs. King The Tellman Family Denise Kolenz
albert and marguerite hackl Ruthelen Burns Beth Tellman Michael Tellman The Altemeyer Family
harvey n sivers Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School Olga Kudinova Matt Tellman David Rivera
andrew and amy kaelin Notre Dame University SOA Group Nana and Papa Tellman Carol Crenshaw Bryan Dimas
jim and julie walker Toby Capion Castleton Family Dentistry Stafford and Clara Pile Meggan Muller
joe heithaus Froehle Family Kennedy Family Tessa Brown Molly Clara Siderys
Wynn McShane Share Foundation Amy Fisher Lauren Rossi Nicole Linda Du
Janie Shumaker Catherine Ford Mike and Annie Martin The Sullivan Family crenshaw
the Sapp Family Janine Sheppard Bob and Karen Dietrick Joeseph Heithaus kathy and jay hollander
the Brumleve Family Cathy Plump Emily Pollom JL Kato james and mary sukup
Allie Dunne skander and tracy nasser the Pollom Family The Jesuits of the Steven and Susies lafrance

Pat Flajole meredith swinehart Inner Peace Yoga Students University of Central Ame- Arlene Gavin
Megan Raimondi shelece easterday martha lehman katherine gerlich Brebeuf Jesuit Teachers
Betsy Purner jesuit community brebeuf l nicholas sanchez nick klinger The Angulo Family

anna kolhede jesuit preparatory schoo nicholas sanchez various anonymous fami- Alexis Mielke
Richard Belcher Paul Knapp Katherine Gerlich Michelle Bezanson Carrie Clark
Jennifer Moyano Jaclyn Dittrich Christopher Wahoff Jill Weaver in the Honor of Kristin Froehle

Mrs. Laura Hall’s Sixth Grade Homeroom and K-8 Students of St. Peter´s School in Kansas City Missouri

The Coffee Emporium at Xavier University, Cinncinati Xavier College Preparatory School, California

Thanks for your continued support!

CEIBA Staff
www.ceibaelsalvador.org
www.friendsofsantamaria.blogspot.com